Blue Wall of the Carolinas 2021

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

DESCRIPTION: The Blue Ridge Escarpment of the Southern Appalachian Mountains is a drastic and sudden 3,000-foot shift in elevation from flat piedmont to steep mountains forming an abrupt blue wall. We start with a loop ride from Asheville. Then we ride the Blue Ridge Parkway over to Brevard for a two night stay, with options for waterfall viewing along the way. Heading to Greenville, SC, you climb over Caesar’s Head Mountain where you get your first real look at the Blue Wall. On our rest day in Greenville we’re downtown where you can walk to beautiful parks, interesting shops, galleries and many restaurants. The second night has a downtown street food festival “Fall for Greenville” where you have the option to stroll and sample small plates. On our ride up to Saluda, NC we climb the Greenville watershed (decent surfaces and little traffic). Here we have 4 vacation rental homes all within a few blocks of the quaint downtown. In Saluda we take a scenic route to get further up the Wall to visit Hendersonville and see some of the rides Tom and Julie get to do every day. Sunday night we'll have a BBQ dinner at the house with the most seating. From Saluda we ride to Hendersonville where we stay for 3 days in a B&B close to downtown. Our lay-over day offers a loop to Jump Off Rock where you can see many of the Blue Ridge Mountains from one vantage point. Our final group dinner will be hosted by a local caterer at their location.  We enjoy the views from the Blue Ridge Parkway on our last ride returning to Asheville.

RIDE RATING:  This trip is rated a 3B and averages 42 Mi/Day and 3,060 Ft/Day of climbing if choosing the short options or 45 miles and 3,060 Ft on the long options. The more difficult days we ride to Brevard at 47 miles and 4,310 Ft of climbing and from Brevard.  Departing from Brevard has 55 miles and 3,925 Ft of climbing but the last 10 miles are on the Swamp Rabbit Trail approaching Greenville, which is flat and traffic free. The grades for the overall tour are moderate at less than 6%, with a single spot topping out at 10%. There are frequent short tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway sections on the first day of the tour. Cyclists are required by law (and common sense) to have HEAD LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS.

LOGISTICS: Meet Sunday, October 3, 2021. First cycling day, Monday, Oct. 4. Last cycling day, Thursday, Oct. 14. Departure day is Friday, Oct 15, 2021. Ten cycling days (plus one scheduled rest day). Two night stays for all but the last two stops. Start/end hotel is the Four Points by Sheraton Asheville; 22 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 288011-3022 PH: 828-253-1851 starwoodhotels.com. At this time there is no charge for parking in the hotel lot, however that could change. It is a short walk to downtown restaurants, museums and shops. Fly in and out of Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. A cab ride to the hotel will cost approximately $40. When you are accepted you can access the "Ride Leader Docs" posted on the tour page.  There you will find the Welcome Letter for specific details about the tour.  Routes are posted there in GPX, TCX and RidewithGPS (for phones) files for you to download.  Bike boxes will be stored in a rented cube parked at the hotel. The front desk will have the key for the cube. Bike rentals are available at a local bike shop. Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Talk with the leaders about this. Third time this tour is offered by leaders Tom and Julie Leever and mentoring Carol Velamparambil.  

COSTS: Your initial payment of $800 includes the nonrefundable BAC fee of $50 + the $750 deposit.  Final payment of $750 is due June 15, 2021.  This covers the cost of 12 hotel nights, 3 dinners, 6 breakfasts, happy hour refreshments, maps, cue sheets, luggage van and driver. After the tour we will provide a report of all expenses and return any money that remains after expenses have been paid.

SINGLES: We encourage single riders to sign up who are willing to share a room. On this tour we only have 3 rooms with 2 beds available. We will assist with the singles search for a suitable room mate. Singles who are accepted but waiting to find a room mate will have a limited time-frame to do so if there are more BAC members registered on the wait list.

SOLO SUPPLEMENT: Solo supplement, if available, is $ 1,008.  We have not reserved solo rooms and will only offer a solo option if the tour does not fill within a few months. Should any solos be accepted, the Ride Leader will advise when the solo supplement payment is due. Any solo supplement payments will need to be mailed to BAC, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193, and checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.

WEATHER: The weather is usually cool to warm. Average temps are from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. However, temperatures can vary into the 40s, particularly with rain. Be prepared with cold weather rain gear.

COVID Protocols: We will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 6 weeks prior to the tour start date to finalize our COVID protocols. After polling participants, the group has requested that all participants must be fully vaccinated including booster shots if applicable and voluntarily present vaccination documentation for viewing by Ride Leader if requested.  Face masks should be worn when interacting with people other than our tour group inside buildings.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  Note that most hotels on the tour require a final count for the reservation 30 days in advance. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support, including changing their own flat tires.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

INSURANCE: Before participating in any BAC tour, members should review their medical coverage and assess whether what you have is sufficient. If it isn’t, you should purchase additional travel medical coverage. BAC maintains a policy that provides coverage for expenses related to medical emergencies and repatriation when members are on tours outside the US and their home country. The policy ceases to be applicable if a member makes a personal deviation (e.g., makes a side trip not related to the planned BAC tour), has limits on expenses covered for family members and only applies for 45 days following departure from home. There is also limited coverage for medical expenses associated with accidents incurred by US residents when on tours within the US. None of the policies maintained by BAC will cover costs associated with self-quarantines that may be government mandated. Members should also ensure that vaccinations are up to date (e.g., annual influenza, tetanus, etc.). If traveling outside your home country you may wish to consult with a travel physician or nurse to ensure that the appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit of $750 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description